As is commonly known, when wheeled vehicles are operated on a wet surface, their wheels cause some water to be lifted from the wet surface. Wheeled vehicle manufacturers therefore attempt to prevent the users of the vehicles from getting wet due to this lifted water.
In wheeled vehicles having bucket or bench seats, such as in automobiles, the users are typically located inside an enclosure which shields them from the water being lifted by the wheels.
This is not the case however in vehicles having a straddle seat where the users are exposed to the elements. Therefore, various components have been added to such vehicles to prevent water lifted by the wheels from getting the users wet when the vehicle is used on a wet surface.
In motorcycles, a rear fender is provided over the rear wheel to prevent water from being sprayed by the rear wheel on the back of the users. A front fender is also provided over the front wheel and moves therewith as it is being steered to prevent water from being sprayed by the front wheel on the users. Any water not stopped by front fender is blocked by the motorcycle frame or body located directly behind it.
All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) have two front wheels and two rear wheels and a straddle seat. An ATV user's feet generally rest on footrests located behind and aligned with the front wheels. In ATVs, the fenders for each wheel are integrated with the ATV's body. The rear fenders provide a similar function as the rear fender of a motorcycle. The front fenders, which are located in front of the user's feet, prevent water from spraying on the user's feet when the ATV is going straight. When the front wheels are turned to steer the ATV, the front wheel located on the outside of the turn sprays water away from the ATV, while the front wheel located on the inside of the turn sprays water towards the inside of the body and the corresponding front fender of the ATV. The user is therefore shielded from the water being lifted by the wheels of the ATV when it is operated on a wet surface.
Another type of straddle type vehicle has three wheels. There are two possible configurations for three-wheeled vehicles: one wheel at the front with two wheels at the back or two wheels at the front and one wheel at the back.
In the first configuration (one wheel at the front), fenders similar to those used in a motorcycle can be used to prevent water from being sprayed by the wheels on the user.
In the second configuration (two wheels at the front), various attempts were made to prevent water from being sprayed by the wheels on the user. For the single rear wheel, a fender similar to those used in a motorcycle can be used to prevent water from being sprayed by the rear wheel on the back of the user. Providing fixed front fenders over the two front wheels, which are spaced apart from the body of the vehicle, does not satisfactorily prevent water from being sprayed on the user since when the front wheels are turned to steer the vehicle, the front wheel located on the inside of the turn sprays water directly on the user. Therefore, attempts were made to use fenders that would turn with the front wheels of the vehicle as it is being steered, as illustrated in United States published patent application number US 2005-0039967 A1, filed Aug. 18, 2004. However, even by using these fenders some water is still being sprayed by the front wheels on the user of the vehicle.
When a wheel rolls on a wet surface, the portion of the wheel that leaves the ground as the wheel moves forward projects some water upwardly and rearwardly in a plane of rotation of the wheel. This first way in which a water spray is generated can be addressed by the addition of a fender on the wheel, as is known in the prior art.
By making the portions of the front fenders located behind the front wheels closer to the ground improved the water shielding provided by the front fenders. However, it was found that regardless of how close the bottom of the front fenders get to the ground, some water is still being sprayed by the front wheels on the user of the vehicle, and more particularly on the user's feet, when the vehicle is operated on a wet surface.
A wheel rolling on a wet surface also generates other water sprays. The rolling wheel causes the water to separate to either sides thereof and move upwardly as the wheel comes into contact with the wet surface when rolling. Part of this is due to the design of tire thread patterns which attempt to evacuate water to the sides of the tires. From the reference frame of the moving vehicle, the water spray generated in this second way, moves diagonally rearwardly to either sides of the wheel. This spraying effect not only occurs when the wheel rolls in a puddle of water, but also when the wheel rolls on a wet or damp surface. Since this type of water spray is generated at the front or at the point of contact of the wheel with the ground, the addition of a fender to the wheel, which provides water shielding directly behind the wheel, does not address the problem.
This means that in a three-wheeled vehicle having two front wheels, the portions of the water sprays being generated in the second way and which are located between the front wheels and the body of the vehicle will cause the user of the vehicle to get wet.
Therefore, there is a need for a straddle type three-wheeled vehicle having two front wheels which reduces the amount of water being sprayed on the user of the vehicle by the front wheels when the vehicle is used on a wet surface.